Customs office plans paperless services next year<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Directorate General of Customs and Excise
\nplans to launch paperless customs services, using an electronic
\ndata interchange (EDI) system in April when the new customs law
\ncomes into force.<\/p>\n
Eddy Abdurrachman, head of the directorate general's automatic
\ndata processing and information center, said yesterday that the
\nsystem will help expedite the clearance of imported goods from
\ncustoms areas.<\/p>\n
\"These days, we are not sure how much time is needed to clear
\ngoods from customs areas because everything is handled manually.
\nLater, when the EDI system is in place, the clearance can be
\nhandled much quicker,\" Eddy announced after attending the signing
\nof a memorandum of understanding on customs cooperation between
\nIndonesia and Korea's customs services.<\/p>\n
\"If we can clear goods within one day using the system, it
\nwill be quite a breakthrough,\" Eddy said, adding that the system
\nwill be used as a pilot project in Tanjung Priok port and
\nSukarno-Hatta Airport, both in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The system, Eddy said, is designed to reduce personal contact
\nbetween customs officials and businesspeople and consequently
\nlessen red tape and minimize the possibility of collusion between
\nofficials and businesspeople.<\/p>\n
Eddy explained that the system will electronically connect the
\ncustoms office to all related parties involved in customs
\nmatters, including importers, port and airport authorities,
\nshipping companies, airlines, freight forwarders, banks and
\nrelated government departments.<\/p>\n
Eddy, however, declined to give the figures on the total cost
\nof the electronic data interchange system, saying that investment
\nin the system will be mostly borne by state-owned
\ntelecommunications firm PT Indosat and state-owned port operator
\nPT Pelabuhan II.<\/p>\n
Both companies have set up a provider, PT EDI Indonesia, to
\nrun the system for customs services.<\/p>\n
Eddy noted that the system will be very important to
\nfacilitate the smoother flow of goods, especially when Indonesia
\napplies the post-audit system for imported goods beginning in
\nApril.<\/p>\n
The government, through a finance ministry decree dated May
\n28, will terminate the preshipment inspection contract with
\nstate-owned PT Surveyor Indonesia on April 1, 1997, three months
\nearlier than its original expiry date.<\/p>\n
The decree, however, does not stipulate if preshipment
\ninspections will be maintained or not. It only informs Surveyor
\nIndonesia to prepare for the termination of its contract.<\/p>\n
The directorate general lost its inspection authority in mid-
\n1985, when the government installed the preshipment inspection
\nsystem for Indonesia's imports in a bid to ensure the smooth flow
\nof imports.<\/p>\n
Director General of Taxes and Excise Soehardjo Soebardi said
\nhis office had invested tens of billions of rupiah to prepare its
\npersonnel to conduct post-auditing of import documents.<\/p>\n
\"The post-audit system demands transparency in all related
\nparties. So, we hope the people using customs services will be
\nmore open in declaring their goods, otherwise they may encounter
\nproblems,\" Soehardjo said.<\/p>\n
He assured businesses that the post-audit system will be much
\ncheaper than the current preshipment inspection system whereby
\nthe government has to pay inspection fees to Surveyor Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Eddy explained that the post-audit system is basically a self-
\nassessment system where importers and exporters themselves
\nassesses the value of their goods and pay the taxes and other
\nduties according to their assessment. Customs inspection will be
\ndone selectively.<\/p>\n
\"Under the post-audit system, we should trust each other and
\nbasically deal only with documents. When businesspeople do
\neverything correctly, they will not face any difficulties at
\nall,\" Eddy assured. (rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/customs-office-plans-paperless-services-next-year-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}